Quotes!!

So, as official Quotemaster of the group, I now bring you some of the best off-yet-so-much-on-the-record moments from our WYD pilgrimage....enjoy!

Since 90% of the quotes came from our beloved Fr. John Martin (aka Padre Formaggio), I'm featuring his wisdom first:

"I always used to enjoy listening to the words of Jesus, but now it's just annoying!" (describing the notorious Jesus doll....and this was before we had even left the country...)

"Jesus' words aren't practical!" (also talking about the Jesus doll)

"I have an announcement: I have wet wipes."

Rakhi: "Fr, could you marry anyone on this trip?"
Padre: "I'm not allowed....I'm a monk."

"Last night, as we were wandering through the land of darkness and gloom....." (describing when the guys got lost on the way to the Opera House)

"If all else fails, we'll adore the Lord."

Jerry: "You were supposed to pass [the empty ice-cream cup] on to someone before we left the train!"
Padre: "Well you see I'm wearing my collar so I have to be careful....I don't want people to think What kind of a priest is this? He gives me rubbish!"

"It's idolatry because we're worshipping a doll."

"Check it out!" (the Padre's famous dance move)

"Never blog in the shower."

"You never know when you'll need a spork."

"I love penance horror stories!"

"I crown you Queen Duct Tape!" (to Laura)

me: "What doesn't kill me makes me stranger."
Padre: "But you're so strange already!"

"The bird is 80 years old....but he doesn't look a day over 45!"

Fr. Bernard: "Some Presbyterian chaplains are coming to the cottage next."
Padre: "Oh let's not clean for them!"

"World Youth Day pilgrims, GET A GRIP!" (to us as we were very slap-happy and playing with the overhead lights on our last flight)

Quotes from other pilgrims:

"There's no such thing as a manly ferry!" ~Tony

"We don't want Jesus flashing people.....they already think Americans are crazy!"~Rakhi

"We have to find out who invented pants!"~me, Jerry, Rakhi

"Awkward....Rakhi's...."~Jerry, referring to Rakhi's luggage

"Time to strip"~Rakhi

"I'm Rubbish-Man!"~Tony

"I'm growing my own set of natural mittens on my face"~Tony

"This game is about patience"~Jerry

"Do we have any holy water? If not we can use Gatorade"~Laura

"It's a blessing that there are so many different languages....that way we can laugh at people's accents!"~Laura

me: "It's good in theory....."
Laura: "So is Communism"

"I'm catching my 16th wind!"~me

Rakhi: "That was a self-deprecating remark...now you have to say two nice things about yourself"
Jerry: "Ok....I'm good looking and weigh the correct amount"

"Toes are way over-rated"~Jerry

Padre: "How would one pray obnoxiously?"
Sandra: "Oh Anna could find a way!"

Quotes from other people we ran across:

"Hey Banana-Man!"~lady at coffee-shop, to Jerry

Parent@zoo: "Feed the bird!"
Kid: "No, he'll beak me!"

"You can't go wrong with Jesus and Detroit!"~kid from Philly, who admired the Jesus doll

"You'll probably end up on page 3....that's where they put all the topless women stories"~Matthew, on the ferry

"Are you becoming a monk tonight?"~random drunk kid

"You're from Detroit? Where are the black fellas?"~also random drunk kid

"Caution, I'm hot"~lid on McDonald's cup (don't ask)

"Well, as my dad told me on my 18th birthday, get your stuff and go!"~flight attendant on last flight home

"These words of Jesus are not practical"~Cardinal Pell (just like the Padre said!)

Any more that you guys remember, feel free to add! Love you all!:)
~Anna

"Take a picture in your mind....and remember..."

So it's been almost a week since we returned from the Land Down Under.....I've recovered from my jet-lag, told my stories, and posted my pictures on Facebook.....in pretty much all respects, the pilgrimage is over.....and yet very much is still with me. I'm reminded of Bishop Flores' words at the end of the Detroit Mass. He said "Many of you are taking pictures on your cameras, but I also want you to take a picture in your mind, of all that goes on this week.....and remember!" (Star Trek pose...) I took his words to heart.....and this is what my picture would look like....

My picture is of thousands of youth from countries across the world, marching through the streets waving their respective flags, praying and singing out loud, cheering, hugging and high-fiving each other, united in faith.....it's of camping out on a cold and windy night and rising in the morning to celebrate Mass in the middle of a racetrack, praying with as much fervor as if I were in a cathedral.....it's of beautiful scenes of Australian cities and countryside and the smiling hospitality of everyone we met....it's of my 8 beloved brothers and sisters in Christ journeying with me, all of us sharing buses, boats, trains, planes, adventures, jokes, prayers, and songs.....it's of the overwhelming grace and power of the Holy Spirit that was poured out, and a change in my own heart, as God showed me things that I sort of knew all along but needed to go away to really see.


So I'm back home, things are "back to normal," and World Youth Day is over for another 3 years. But, as the Holy Father said, this is just the beginning of the mission. I do feel like a part of me is permanently changed, and I'm just a little bit stronger, happier, and more ready to "be a witness" in every part of my life. I hope and pray that this experience will be a jump-start to a closer walk with God, and that all the seeds that were sown will bear fruit one hundredfold....for me and for everyone who took part in the pilgrimage. So goodnight all, God bless, and REMEMBER!:)
~Anna

Home Safe

This post is for Scott, who wanted to know that we all got home safe....;-)

We did indeed....after the longest Wednesday ever, we all got back safe and sound (well, except for Tony and Christa, who are still in LA....I'm sure they're having a great time, though!)

I'll post more later....I'm actually off to Mackinac Island with my family this weekend (surprise! more traveling for me!) but when I get back I definitely plan on putting up some of my post-pilgrimage reflections, as well as a ton of quotes from the trip! So stay tuned everyone!
God bless,
~Anna

And We're On Our Way Back Home...

In less than an hour, we will be departing the St. Benedict Monastery in Arcadia to begin our trek home. The journey here was long indeed, but the time went by more quickly than we'd anticipated. As we look forward to our return home, many of us are still trying to figure out exactly what it was the Lord was saying to us through a haze of weariness mixed with joy, mixed with what has come to be called the WYD08 Plague (no worries - some of us just have a cold).

We will be seeing many of you soon, but for now, we leave on our Wednesday that may never end! (Because we are coming back across the international date line the other way this time, our Wednesday will be around 36 hours long - who said there were only 24 hours in a day!)

God bless, and G'day...and we'll see you soon!
Rakhi

PS - Continue to follow the blog as we add post-WYD thoughts, reflections and photos...and as always, thank you for your thoughts, prayers and comments - it was nice to have a touch of home so far away from home.

The Padre Posts!!

World Youth Day has been a wonderful experience of immersion in the Church’s life. I felt this in the explosion of joy and faith during the World Youth Day events. I was also inspired by the way our little community of young adults prayed together, served one another and enjoyed one another’s presence. Thank you, Genesis Ministries, for the privilege of being your spiritual “padre” on this blessed pilgrimage!

Fr. John Martin

Ain't no party like a Catholic Party!

So we're back at the monastery in Arcadia, the WYD festivities are over, and I have to say, the Vigil and the Papal Mass were an unforgettable experience.

The Vigil, first of all, started as just plain fun. The trek to Randwick Racecourse, sleeping bags on our backs and Rosaries in our hands, way appealed to the adventurer in me, and the exuberant anticipation among the crowd at the racetrack was contagious. The music played during the afternoon was awesome too (especially from Fr. Stan Fortuna, the rapping priest from the Bronx.....I'm definitely gonna suggest to Dan that we sing his rap-Litany at the Easter Vigil next year.....;-)

The Vigil itself was really powerful. I loved the candle-light service.....the seas of people, speckled with flames, was a really inspiring sight as we prayed to the Holy Spirit to inflame our hearts and transform our lives. It was also fun to play/dance with the candles afterwards, which provided a good source of warmth (even though we also got covered in wax!) Dancing and drinking hot chocolate also helped us keep warm, as the night was rather on the frigid side.

After I was done dancing and partying with the other rowdy Catholics (haha) Rakhi and I headed to the Adoration tent. That was definitely a highlight of the evening (and not just because the tent had heat lamps....) Before the Blessed Sacrament I was really able to sit and give everything to the Lord. It helped me to enter into the prayer of the vigil and to receive His peace deep down. I wanted to stay there forever, but I ended up only staying until about 1:30 in the morning. Then I headed back to camp where everyone else was sleeping/trying to sleep. Sleeping wasn't the easiest thing to do, between the bright lamps, the chanting off in the distance, and the freezing cold, and I really only drifted off a couple times, but I found the night a good time to reflect and pray and keep watch. Sunrise came at last and then it was time for the Papal Mass.

The Mass was beautiful (of course!) I want to go back and reread the Holy Father's homily, as well as several prayers during the liturgy, because I feel like everything said there completely confirmed everything I was thinking and praying about this WYD week. At the end of Mass, the prayer was for us to be transformed by this experience, and that really struck me because I keep praying that I'll go back home and never be the same....that I'll be able to hold onto this deeper sense of the Lord's presence and peace that He's given me this week. It won't be the easiest thing in the world, but I'll have the Holy Spirit, which makes everything possible.:)

After the Vigil, we waited around for some of the pilgrims to clear out before we headed out ourselves. I found that, despite the lack of sleep and generally energy-lag among the pilgrims, I was still on a super-high.....able to play frisbee and hackey-sack at the racecourse and sing most of the way back (on my sixteenth wind, as it were ;-) The trip back to Arcadia was also a lot of fun, including a happy reunion with Fr. Bernard and the "Atomic Doop" and an extremely slap-happy trip back to the monastery with made-up songs played on the broken guitar. Good times.:)

OK, well it's time for morning prayer now before we head out to the Blue Mountains, so I'd better hit the road. Thank you everyone who's been praying for me on this trip (especially my family--I love you and miss you utterly! ;-) It's really been amazing. God bless and peace out!
~Anna

Picture Update!!

With the Vigil and Papal Mass, and the recovery thereafter, we haven't had a chance to be online in a while. Sorry for the three-day delay, but here are some pictures of our adventures during the official duration of World Youth Day 2008 (finally!). We are all off to the Blue Mountains today with Fr. Bernard from St. Benedict's, so hopefully we will get a chance to write a little more about our experiences in the coming evening. If not, rest assured that we will be writing more when we get home and are able to really reflect on all that has happened.

For now, enjoy the pictures!

God bless, and G'day!
Rakhi

P.S. - These are a little out of order, but enjoy them nonetheless!!












The view from the restaurant in the Rocks, Our view at the Papal Mass, & At the Papal Mass on Sunday morning













Snugly sleeping outdoors, Uncle Sam found some leprechauns!, & Enjoying the AOD Mass















At the opening Mass, Huddling over our candles for warmth!, & "Alleluia, Alleluia, receive the power..."













Meeting up with friends at the AOD Mass, Here we are at the Papal Arrival, Finally, a full group picture at lunch!

Fr. John from St. Patrick's (host parish), Anna roughing it at our host family's, The morning view from my window at host family

Our lady of the Southern Cross, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

First and Final Post from Tony: Long Live the Potato!

“¡Viva la papa!” Oh, no. Did I just shout “Long live the potato!” in front of 150,000 pilgrims? Apparently I did, as my Spanish-speaking companions pointed out. Maybe I would’ve had better luck shouting in Italian instead. At any rate, the intention was there at least! Seeing the Pope in person was a wonderful experience, even if he was just a spec on the horizon. Just knowing he was there in person for me – for all of us – was enough to bring joy to my heart.

Seeing so many cultures meshed together made me realize just how large and diverse the Church actually is. Together under one banner we proclaim the same Christ, live the same Gospel, and uphold the same precepts regardless of our ethnicity or background. Each culture that participated in WYD ’08 expressed their appreciation and respect for the Pope in a unique and inspired way. Chants, music, song, and dance filled the streets of Sydney. Even the most hardened heart could see why we were there.

As pilgrims, the Pope calls us to join the Blessed Mother in the upper room for the “new” Pentecost. Acts 1:8 shows us that we are to be witnesses to the current generation. This pilgrimage may have begun in Sydney, but the journey continues within our hearts.

Rendiamo grazie a Dio!

-Tony

Controversial Catechesis, and the Way of the Cross

We've now been in Australia (or "Aussie Aussie Aussie!" as we've heard them chant) for over a week, and it seems as though the time is flying by. I can hardly believe we leave tomorrow for the vigil at Randwick Racecourse. Anna and I spent some time doing laundry tonight since we'll need to be all packed before we leave - we thought freshly washed clothes might be a nice touch for the Pope. :)

Today was an interesting day...after a week, people are starting to feel the effects of all the running around. No worries, though, we are bouncing back from any oncoming illnesses rather quickly, no doubt due in large part to the adrenaline running through our bodies...and the Holy Spirit, of course! The morning catechesis proved to be the most controversial of all the ones we've had thus far. Today's session was with Bishop John Ayah (sp?) from Nigeria. He chose to focus on the appropriate use of the Holy Spirit within the controls of the hierarchy of the Church.

It appears that they have had some serious abuses by those claiming to be part of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Nigeria, to the point that they have fractioned off and left the Church. However, much of his talk simply brushed over the Charismatic community in generalities leaving many of the participants a little confused and somewhat hesitant to speak their disagreement upon the effects of the Renewal within the Church. If nothing else, it sparked some lively and fruitful discussion of the place of any movement within the Church and how to discern whether something was of the Holy Spirit or some other spirit.

From catechesis, we moved back to the Barangaroo for the Stations of the Cross. Initially, we weren't entirely sure we would be going, but I am so very thankful we did. As exciting as yesterday was with the arrival of the Holy Father, today's stations were equally (if not more) moving. The Stations were distributed around Sydney, including the Cathedral, the Opera House, the Art Museum, the Domain and the Barangaroo, with screen at each location to show the others. The actors that re-enacted the Way of the Cross were unbelievable - it was surreal to watch "Jesus" actually carry a cross through the streets of Sydney (and on a boat...a slight modification methinks!). He was a phenomenal actor - I'm not always a fan of the theatrics, but this was truly incredible. I'll have to include some excerpts from the reflections and prayers that accompanied the procession when I get a chance.

The only possible down-side of the day is that it was actually much colder out than we had expected so by the fourth station, we were already shivering. Yet huddling together with a few blankets, we made it through just fine. In fact, at one point we realized that if we were cold, then the man playing Jesus must be freezing since he was only half dressed, and so chose to offer it up for him and for all those who suffer far worse fates than ours! The cold did cause a change in our plans for the evening, though. The boys and Christa went home after Stations to have dinner with their host family. Instead of staying on the harbor at Barangaroo to see the concert, Sandra, Anna and I came back to our host families as well. Andrea and Laura ended up going to the last of the Christopher West series, so I'm sure they will have some inspiring words to share.

Today's word in our daily prayer books was mercy - it could not have been a more inspired word to include today. Anna, Sandra and I began the day with reconciliation, and following that up with the Stations, it brought home even more just how much love God had/has for us as his beloved sons and daughters to suffer as he did, knowing full well that we could not follow Him perfectly.

Another thing that struck me today was how blessed we were to have a group of pilgrims who are so focused on the true purpose of our pilgrimage - growing deeper in our faith and our prayer life. There are moments when we are all distracted, but I can rest assured that if I don't call us to prayer, someone else will. As we were walking to Stations today, someone suggested saying a Rosary on our way (the Bishop this morning was emphatic about the fact that we needed to return to saying the rosary more often)...the walk went so much faster than the day before! We even had one of the volunteers join in as he was walking ... and a couple Aussies joke that they were impressed Americans were praying the Rosary.

Tomorrow morning we head off to Randwick Racecourse for our final night of World Youth Day - the outdoor all-night vigil. The Papal Mass will be the following morning around 10 a.m. Sydney time (about 8 p.m. Saturday night U.S. Eastern Time) - there will be a young adult Mass at Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Sterling Heights at that time in solidarity with those of us celebrating with the Holy Father here. For anyone interested, the parish is located on 18 mile & Ryan Rd. in Sterling Heights.

We will continue to keep you all in our prayers, and ask for your prayers as well as we head into this final event which will be a challenge for some. Thank you again for all your prayers and comments so far - they are very much appreciated. We miss you all, and will be home soon!

Good night, and God bless,
Rakhi

Benny-Benny-Benny XVI and tales of nuptials at the foot of the Cross

Shouts of Bennedetto, Viva Il Papa, Benny-Benny-Benny (Aussie Cheer style), and various national cheers and songs filled the air as we streamed from the train station to the Barangaroo this afternoon to see the Holy Father's arrival into Sydney via the Boat-a-cade. Over the next hour the 7 of us who stayed for Catechesis, weaved our way through the streets and horse manure to meet up with Sandra and Rakhi. Finally the Holy Father was going to meet the youth of the world! Upon his arrival there was a short aboriginal dance performed for him, in which the expression on his face was priceless. A short prayer service and his address followed. Here are some tidbits of his address which can be found here :

-You are witnesses of the greatest story ever- in that God became one of us.

-For some of you, it seems like you have come to the ends of the earth. At you age, any flight seems exciting. For me it is somewhat daunting!

-Like the Genesis story, this travel has been light & dark, new land, new animals, & new peoples. And all of this was what the LORD created, and it is good.

-Standing before me I see a vibrant image of the universal Church. The variety of nations and cultures from which you hail shows that indeed Christ’s Good News is for everyone; it has reached the ends of the earth. Yet I know too that a good number of you are still seeking a spiritual homeland. Some of you, most welcome among us, are not Catholic or Christian. Others of you perhaps hover at the edge of parish and Church life. To you I wish to offer encouragement: step forward into Christ’s loving embrace; recognize the Church as your home. No one need remain on the outside, for from the day of Pentecost the Church has been one and universal.

-In many ways, the Apostles were ordinary. None could claim to be the perfect disciple. They failed to recognize Christ (cf. Lk 24:13-32), felt ashamed of their own ambition (cf. Lk 22:24-27), and had even denied him (cf. Lk 22:54-62). Yet, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, they were transfixed by the truth of Christ’s Gospel and inspired to proclaim it fearlessly. Emboldened, they exclaimed: repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 2:37-38)!

These were just tidbits, it is a great homily and I hope everyone will read it!

As for the nuptials at the foot of the cross (no- no one got married), Rakhi mentioned in her previous post that some of us headed to a Christopher West talk on the Theology of the Body. If you don't know, Christopher West is an amazing speaker, and a couple others from the group had attended a different talk of his on Wednesday night. Tonight the talk was A Love that Satisfies, based on his book.

During his talk he re-stated some of what he had talked about the night before- the difference between Eros (Erotic) and Agape (Divine) love and dove deeper. Some key notes that I took from Christopher's talk:
-A purely spiritual God is more acceptable to the World than a God that had diapers, BO- was human, the Word made FLESH and called us to DRINK of HIS BLOOD.

-God created everything to be true, good & beautiful. The Devil can only twist, distort, & mock the truth-Eros was the first thing he distorted for the human race.

-He used the movie The Truman Show to help us understand some key points about God and the world, which I had not noticed before. Definitely need to get that movie and study it!

-Like the scene in Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, Pope Benedict is telling the world: 'You're Going the Wrong Way' with Eros. Christopher West believes that within his own lifetime, the world will realize this.

-Bishop Fulton Sheen when quoting St. Augustine states: "Do you know what is happening at the foot of the cross??? -Nuptials I tell you! Christ is mounting the marriage bed of the cross!" Christ is the new Adam, Woman (Mary, representative of the Church) the new Eve, and get this....John the MYSTICAL OFFSPRING of the nuptial covenant. The last part of that blew my mind!!

-JP2 and B16 have both said: The future of civilization depends on this-that we come to know and recognize the true & PERSONAL dignity of the human body.

-What the world is really longing for is union with God, but is disguising it with sex.

Christopher West's talks and many other workshops (including the Historical Catholic Apologetics & Myths) have been taped and will be available via podcast on Xt3.com, a Catholic networking website, similar to Facebook.

On top of all these great events, I got to catch up with a few people that I had travelled to Cologne- WYD 2005, notably Mike Mangione, who played with his band at the Christopher West talk and the newly ordained Fr. Phil, SJ. Mike has a new CD -Tenebrae-coming out August 5th so go pick it up and support Catholic music.

Well after a long post and a late night it is off to bed! Thanks everyone for the prayers- keep it up! We will need them for the next few days, which promise to be just as long!

Journey to the Heart of Jesus

Woo hoo....we're halfway through the pilgrimage and I'm finally posting! (Tony, it's your turn now.....;-) I'll try to keep this short since the places we've gone, the adventures we've had, the crazy inside jokes that we've created could fill a lot more than an entry that anyone would want to read in one sitting. So I'll take a bit more spiritual of a turn I guess as I share my testimony of what this trip is meaning for me....

The Cardinal at Catechesis yesterday talked about our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. He gave a very deep and moving talk on the subject, a lot of which was very meaningful to me, but what struck me most was when he said that this pilgrimage experience should be a "journey into the heart of Jesus....find your dwelling place there as you find God in your own heart." That line spoke to me the most because God has been showing me throughout this trip that it's all about Him and me. I'm not here to see Australia, make friends, or even to see the Pope....I'm here to draw closer to Christ, and throughout this trip He's put a hunger in my heart to know Him more, to be transformed by the Spirit and to let Him consume more and more of who I am. And He's been meeting me as I seek Him. Through the Masses, the prayer, the singing, and the silence, I feel like I am journeying into the Lord's heart....and what have I found there? LOVE. Ever since the WYD events started I've been feeling such a great outpouring of His love into my heart. Even though I already knew it in my head, He's been letting me feel how He does dwell in me and that I belong to Him. As I sit with that, and realize what it means it leads to such peace that I feel like nothing can shake me or ever make me afraid. It brings me so much joy I want to shout from the housetops (or at least sing, dance, and play the maracas in the streets and on the train as my fellow pilgrims would testify ;-) I feel like I'll never be the same, and I keep praying that this experience will transform my life, that I'll never forget this grace, and that I'll only draw closer to God through it.

In other news, the Pope arrived today!! It was sooo cool....we had a great spot where we could see the boat coming in at the harbor, and we could even see Papa Benny on the stage (he was teeeny tiny but we could see him!:) It was so great to be there with all the pilgrims too. The city is completely overtaken by red and yellow backpack-wearing, flag-bearing youth from across the globe, and even though this is kind of a nuisance for the Sydney locals, it is such an awesome experience....everyone is filled with so much joy and enthusiasm.....it's hard to not catch the energy! I've never waved at and high-fived so many perfect strangers in my life!:) But it's so neat because you can feel that here, we're all brothers and sisters. I get a whole new sense of what the Catholic (ie Universal) Church is all about, and I can't help but think that this must be part of what Heaven's like too....to feel such harmony and peace and joy with everybody. It's definitely something to look forward to!:)

OK, well it's time for me to get off my cloud (can you tell I'm on a major spiritual high???) and get to bed. Tomorrow we have catechesis again (and Rakhi, Sandra and I have decided that it's time to bite the bullet and go to Reconciliation, heheh) and then a city-wide Stations of the Cross and a Hillsong concert in the evening (I'm waaay pumped for that!) So goodnight all....I may post again....or just keep bugging Tony to post....either way God bless and peace out!:)
~Anna

We've Seen Papa B!

Although the official start to World Youth Day (really week) was on Tuesday with the opening Mass, today felt more like the beginning of the heart of this journey we are taking. The morning began with catechesis for some, but Sandra and I left them at the parish to go and stake our claim on seats for the arrival of PapaB at the Barangaroo.

Now, I do have VIP passes to all the events (that's another story for another day!). And I must say that I deliberated long and hard about leaving to use them just to see where they would take me today...especially if it got me on stage with the Pope! I resisted that temptation, though, and realized that the meaning behind the events wasn't just to see the Pope and get good pictures, but to be able to share the experience with those who came with me, and with youth from all over the world.

Today we were surrounded by groups from Vietnam and Paraguay. As Sandra and I sat watch for 3 hours on our staked out piece of asphalt, they shared their food with us and we tossed around a beach ball that I had taken along. Because we had gotten there early, we were able to relax and reflect a bit, and be grateful that we had been able to secure ourselves seats at the front of our section, which was only one section back from the stage, and was right along the water. There was also a screen right next to us so we could watch either the stage or get the detail on screen.

What proved to be a little frustrating were the people who left their sections and came to stand right in front of us in the aisle-way to take pictures, and had their large flags in tow blocking the view. Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. As the "boatacade" went by, we too went into the path in front of our section to get a better view and photos, since the flag would have been less interesting than the Papal party. It took a moment, but we continued to remind ourselves that the important thing was that we were there at all.

After the Papal arrival event, the group split up. Some went to see Christopher West speak, but a few of us went in search of adoration. And I mean it was a city search! We went to the Opera House, but they told us it was too full. Then we looked for reconciliation and it apparently was in the same place as adoration tonight. Option 1: denied. Next we headed for St. Mary's Cathedral as that was where we went for adoration the other day. The whole place was gated off, and when we asked a volunteer, they said it was listed as an option, but that actually there was no adoration tonight - it had been cancelled. Option 2: denied. Tired at this point, we decided to just sit and do evening prayer in Hyde Park (which is a beautiful park, by the way!).

On our way back, Padre had to make a pit stop, so we walked through the park in search for restrooms. It was quite a providential walk. We passed a tent that looked fairly empty and realized it was the World Youth Day cross and Icon. With no apparent crowds inside or in the queue, we entered in and prayed for a little while. It ended up being exactly what I'd been needing. A nice quiet environment to pray, with some softer praise music that ended with "Your Love Oh Lord" by Third Day...yup a Third Day song - I was home. ;) Seriously, though, you could feel the Spirit just filling the tent, and for the first time I was able to sit and pray quietly without distraction. Amen to that!!

As for now, it still hasn't quite sunk in that I really have seen the Pope. I'm sure it will hit me eventually...perhaps when the exhaustion wears off! For now, my eyelids are coming closed so it is off to bed. Good night, and God bless!!
Rakhi

Who Do You Say You Are?

We may all be familiar with the question Jesus poses to Peter when he asks him "Who do you say I am?". In the first catechesis session on Wednesday, we were challenged to think about who we say we are. Often times, we identify ourselves by our names, our jobs, our heritage or lineage, but rarely do we ever first and foremost identify ourselves as beloved sons and daughters of Christ.

The bishop from New Brunswick, Canada, made that the heart of his message to us. It almost had a bit of a retreat feel, which made sense later in the talk when he challenged us to make this a long retreat experience, to try even amidst the chaos to enter into Christ and dwell with Him in our hearts, to get to know and love him, and let him love us. Our path to holiness, he said, was not in acheiving perfection, but it was in protecting and perfecting the love in our hearts for Christ and each other as beloved sons and daughters of Christ.

As we enter into our second day, that is the message that remains with me. We began yesterday with the question, "Who do you say you are?" and I left with a clear message from our Lord: "Come and keep watch with me."

Later in the day, we went into Sydney to attend some of the festival events. A group of us went to an event by the Sisters for Life out of New York. I'm a big music fan, and so was thrilled to be able to catch part of a small concert by Matt Maher! They had all kinds of workshops and testimonies as well, and the Sisters joy in the Lord was very inspiring.

But...alas, as always, we are on the go, and I must eat breakfast and get on the road! God bless, and G'day from Sydney!
Rakhi

A Note from Jerry

So...as I mentioned before, pilgrim Jerry doesn't write (of course, he does get written about but that isn't quite the same!). We were talking this afternoon, however, and he did want to pass along a message back home. To all those who have been praying for him, and for all those from whom he asked for prayers, he wanted you to know that they are both much appreciated and have been tangibly felt over the journey.

From the rest of us...DITTO!! This one time, we'll let Jerry do the talking... ;-)

Good night again!
Rakhi

There and Back Again; a Pilgrims Tale By Laura Uschold

Ok, not a whole tale... but we did a lot of traveling today.
This morning was a the first day of catechesis at St Ambrose church in West Concord, NSW. From there we had lunch at a nearby school and then hopped the train to go downtown and explore the expo center near Darling Harbor.

Andrea and I were able to swipe a Pilgrims pocket guide which was missing from all our packs. The guide lists the workshops, forums, concerts, theatrical events and other such goings ons. We took in a workshop on 'Historical Apologetics and Catholic Urban Legends: History and Humour from the Crusades to the Da Vinci Code' presented by Dean Mischewski. He was a knowledgeable bloke from New Zealand who had some fun humor and straight forward explanation of myths about the Crusades and inquisitions. We had to leave prior to the portion on the Da Vinci Code, but it looks like his website, www.kiwicatholic.com, has more info on apologetics.

So we walked through the beautiful Darling Harbor Area where outdoor concerts were being held and people generally just converging in the park like setting and playing in the various fountains. We met the group and returned the St ambrose for 5:30 pm mass gathering for the archdiocese of Detroit. It was cool to see and hear from two of our bishops, Quinn and Flores, a first for me on all accounts.

Here is where the "back again" park come into the tail:
After mass we decided to go back downtown because so much was still happening. So we power walked back to the train station and headed for the CBD (Central Business District, I think). With high hopes of cashing in our meal tickets, by the time Andrea and I arrived at the Opera House they were out of food. So, we wandered around the Opera House in slight frustration trying to at least find the location of Adoration and Reconciliation, if we can't have food for our bodies, we could at least adore the one who nourishes and truly sustains our lives. We then came across some volunteers who had bags of extra food, they gave us some bread, fruit, dessert, and drink and then took us straight away to Adoration and Reconciliation site.

We adored, confessed, adored some more and topped it off with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Then it was all trains, buses and walking. (We never did find the ring, however. But, I guess that saves the trouble of having our grandchildren cast it into the fires of Mordor three books from now.)

Pax,
Laura

World Youth Day Festivites Have Officially Begun!!

Putting aside the buzz created from our media interview yesterday, the more important note is that the World Youth Day festivities have officially begun - Cardinal Pell opened the event with Mass at the Barangaroo (they have some great names for things down under!) for about 150,000 pilgrims. We were seated in section G4, which was one section back and about 4 sections left of the stage - of course, these are large sections!!

Despite the largeness of it all, we managed to run into several familiar faces sitting around us. It seemed that we were in the Michigan section, although, there was no such thing. Behind us were the St. Gerald's crew from Farmington Hills and the St. Francis of Assisi from Ann Arbor. In front of us was the crew from DeLasalle in Warren. Besides the Michiganders, we seemed to be surrounded by Italians - actually, no matter where we went, we were surrounded by Italians!

We arrived at the Barangaroo around 12:30 PM for lunch, and the opening Mass was not until 4:15 PM. After securing a nice spot in our section that afforded us a clear view of the screen (since the stage was clearly out of the question!), we headed off to pick up our lunches, which all in all was not a horrible experience. There was a little waiting, but after a tip from the staff, we moved to a different food tent which had no waiting at all! God bless the staff!! :)

Our next order of business was to try to find Jerry a large American flag - it seemed that was the one item we left behind. Believe it or not, they were selling them at the venue...however, it seemed they sold out by the time we figured that out. As people were relaxing after lunch, Laura and I went in search of our seating assignment for the Papal arrival. When we were walking around, I saw the same group Jerry and I had seen earlier - they had 4 flags to themselves, and I decided to ask first where they got it, and then offered to buy one off them for what they paid. End result - Jerry now has a large American flag.

The opening Mass was quite a production - it was difficult to feel like we were at Mass, since we were outside with about 140,000 other folks. It was definitely an experience to see all the national flags waving throughout the crowd. Our own flag was neatly tucked away...or maybe Jerry was wearing it, but nevertheless, we managed to maintain a workable sightline to the screen in front of us. I got some decent photos, but will have to post them upon returning to the monastery.

After the Mass, dinner was sheer chaos. 140K trying to get their meals from three foodstations was an utter disaster. The shoving was what particularly mystified me - especially after just celebrating the Mass and receiving the body of Christ. Arguably, thousands of hungry people not being fed can inflame the tempers, but after almost 2 hours, I did finally return with our dinner bags. Of course, by now the boys had left to try to get Fr. John Martin back to the Opera House to register as a priest so he can concelebrate Mass with the Pope.

The girls headed out of the Barangaroo to try to see where we could go to catch up with them, and then realized that catching up with them would take a sheer miracle. After having used a miracle to get our food, I thought asking for two in one night might be a bit greedy! So we sat along the harbor and had dinner while we tried to figure out the logistics of how to get back to our host families. In the end, the ferry won out, and because of a delay, we got to stay and watch the fireworks.

Our host families have been just amazing. After our trying evening at the Barangaroo, our family picked all the girls up at the ferry and drove us to our respective houses. The boys' host dad has been doing the same when needed, and all host families have been very willing to drop us where we needed to go at any time.

That said, it is getting late and though a day behind on the posting, we do have another long day tomorrow, so I'll try to perhaps catch up a bit in the morning. Good night, and God bless!!
Rakhi

A Celebrity Down Under

No, no, I'm not talking about Nicole Kidman - I'm talking about Jesus! The same Jesus doll whose limited conversation range began to grate on our nerves during a long layover in LA has become the talk of the town in Sydney - no joke!! After being interviewed yesterday, Jerry was today recognized by staff at the expo center when he walked in to use the loo. I think this type of fame suits him...

If you'd like to read the short article, the link is below - enjoy!!

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,24027442-5001021,00.html

Daily Telegraph Interview & Photo

UPDATE!!: The links for the photos on mine and Laura's posts will take you to the general Daily Telegraph Photo Album. As they are constantly updating and adding photos to the album, our links are not accurate, but you are welcome to scroll through the photos and find us! Enjoy the story!


Well we had our first media interview today! A Daily Telegraph Reporter caught up with Jerry and a few other pilgrims when she noticed his Jesus Doll! At first she said she wrote for a 'tabloid' paper, which as you know in the states, that is for the papparatzi and the famous people news. So once we got it straightened out that in the UK and apparently Australia that just means she writes for a daily newspaper, the other daily is the Sydney Morning Herald.

Follow the link for the picture he took of us - Daily Telegraph Photo


The photographer seriously had us posing and walking and took pictures of us for about 20 minutes and the writer talked to some of the pilgrims over the course of a different 20 minutes prior to the photos.

They said the paper may run the photo and story Wednesday, July 16, if not we could contact them from their card for the email copy of the photo.

Giving in to technology.

Rounding out the "this is simple accommodation's?" posts, here is my current position.

After notifying my family by email and posting from Thursday morning's prayer I had lost interest in bothering to check my email or any other technology. However, Andrea and I have arrived at our host family and they offered use of this computer and left it sitting here running in my room, so how could I say no to that.

The two of us are staying with a lovely older couple, John and Wilma in Cabarita, NSW. They live in a relatively new apartment complex on Philip St with a lovely view of the water. The area was once all industry and has only recently been developed into residential in the last decade. They have a nice view of the water at 'France Bay' and a comfortable 3 bed, 2.5 bad 'unit.' Andrea and I have one room with a double bed and one with a twin bed on the floor which is quite comfy! We are just over a km to the ferry wharf that takes us down town - thats a cake walk!

Our hosts recently celebrated John's 85th birthday with ice cream cake, so they offered us some of that tonight along with some other 'nibblers.' John attempted to show us the Southern Cross constellation upon our request, but that will be better suited for the monastery when we return there. Anyway, rounding out the other interesting tidbits, John and Wilma have 8 children and 20 grandchildren and some great grandchildren...not sure the exact amount of the that, the story got a little fuzzy.

Hope all this information adds to your online journey of our pilgrimage - (maybe try to google our locations)! I can't wait to hop the ferry again tomorrow! Those 7 day transit passes were a GREAT choice!

Peace,
Laura

Thanks for the Comments!!

Just a quick note to say a giant "thank you!" to those who have left us comments on the blog - we do check it daily, and it is always nice to see notes from home. Know that we are all well, and though a bit tired (even though we don't show it!), we are excited for what is to come.

The more we run into other pilgrims, the more our excitement grows. I hope that in the coming days we'll be able to share with you some of those experiences from all our points of view... well, maybe except Jerry who doesn't really like to write. We'll write about him, though, so as they say in Australia, "no worries!"

Verso l'alto & "simple" acccommodations...

As I wrote before, today was the day we left St. Benedict's to check in with our host parish and the families that we will be staying with. Fr. Bernard was kind enough to both take us to the parish to drop off our luggage for the day, and then drop us off at the ferry so we could go into the city to visit St. Mary's Cathedral.

It was a rather interesting experience in many ways. As I was pulling together our tentative itinerary, I made some inquiries as to which places might take longer to get through due to the number of pilgrims coming in, and St. Mary's Cathedral was near the top of the list. Of course, our estimation of time has been off from day one, and it took longer to get into the city than we had planned, especially since we stopped to convert a few US Dollars into Aussie bucks.

So when we finally arrived at the site after eating lunch on the go, I tried to hurry everyone inside and then realized that we could just set a meeting point and take the cathedral in at our own pace, since some people were still finishing lunch and others were taking pictures. My own plan was to go in to see the relics of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, which are at the cathedral for World Youth Day. Once I entered the cathedral, it was clear that there really had been no reason for the hurry. All exhibits seemed to be on one floor, winding through the Church, and though the relics were displayed quite nicely, there was not the crowd that we (read: I) had anticipated.

After praying for a while, we made our way back out to the rest of the group, and I made my apologies for rushing everyone on for no apparent reason. Most everyone seemed to not really know what I was talking about, so that is good. I am learning that the greatest lesson of this pilgrimage will be allowing time to become irrelevant and going with the flow, realizing that the Lord will get us where we need to be eventually.

We went from the Cathedral onto our host parish, but again, between getting a bit of a late start and travel taking longer than we thought, we arrived after the Mass, which turned out to be just fine. The welcome was unbelievable - pilgrims from around the world, parishioners coming out to greet us and on top of it all, a grand feast! If there is one thing that we will not be deprived of in Australia, it is good food! During dinner, we began to find our host families and get acquainted with them so we could meet up with them after getting our pilgrim packs, badges and having our evening prayer together. Everyone was very welcoming and accommodating, with some of the families offering to come back and get us later in the evening so we could get everything settled.

As I began to hand out our passes for all the events, I thought my disdain for math had caught up to me and I was trapped in a story problem from the 4th grade. "There are 9 pilgrims in our party but only 8 tags. In what combination might the tags be distributed so all pilgrims can participate in the maximum number of activities?" Yet, it wasn't a story problem, but a real one. After finding the accommodation coordinator at the parish (Sybille, who is wonderful!), we realized that they had not added the group leader into the count of event and meal passes. They called the main office, only to be put on hold for what can't have been less than a half hour. During that time, another lovely woman who picked up all our passes called some others directly to try to solve our problem. At this point, I am relying on the chaos, and the grace of God of course, to make it all work out. I'm still without any passes, but the solution presented was to be sure I had my pilgrim's backpack on at all times I'd need a pass, and they'd let me through with the rest of my group. Carol did leave me with her number just in case we had any trouble.

Although things have not always gone according to plan, everyone we have encountered has gone out of their way to make sure that our time here is nothing but blessed. We can face all struggles with the knowledge that in the end, all will be well. Hey, if I don't make it into the events, I can always have my own personal retreat at our lovely beach house...

Oh, did I not mention that part? We opted for the "simple accommodation" package for the week, which placed us in host families. Anna and I are with one host family, and our family for the week lives on the beach in the bay. The car ferry is right down the street and there is a great view of the city skyline from their balcony. I feel a little bad staying somewhere so incredibly nice and calling it "simple accommodations!"

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to connect to their wireless internet, so I will have to upload pictures when we get back to the monastery on Sunday. Until then, I hope you enjoy our written accounts, though pictures are in fact worth more than a thousand words in many cases!

Good night, and God bless!
Rakhi

The Generosity of our Host Families...

As Rakhi mentioned, today our group has split up and we were placed into different host families. The guys stayed together, but the girls were paired off, so no one will be alone. It'll be different not having everyone around when we go to sleep and to have everyone there to say hello to when you wake up. But it will be quite the experience staying in the house of a true Australian. =)

Sandra and I will be staying together in a host family's house. Upon entering the house we were completely blown away by the generosity of the host family and the size of this place! We each got our own room with a queen size bed and they completely opened up there doors to us, that includes the fridge doors as well! They were so welcoming and forthgiving that I'm overwhelmed by their generosity and am completely grateful for all that they have done for us. One thing I do have to say for this experience is that everyone we have met, from the Benedictine monks, to the parish staff, to even the people that we have passed on the street, everyone has been very welcoming and seems quite happy to see us there...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, because the festivities of WYD 2008 begin. So the main reason why we travelled half way around the world (litterally!) is finally upon us! =)

God Bless!
christa

Moving On to New Horizons...

Today we leave St. Benedict Monastery for a short while as we move to our host families from St. Patrick's Parish in Mortlake NSW. We will be split into four homes, so please be patient with us as we gather comments to blog. We're not sure what our access to the internet will be, but rest assured we'll be adding more as the opportunity presents itself.

God bless and g'day!
Rakhi

Day Three: One Bread, One Body

I have found that I can't upload pictures from my phone camera here in Australia, so unfortunately I can't show you any pictures of the parish where we celebrated the Mass today. It was quite an experience, not so much in any big differences in the celebration of Mass, but in the realization of what it meant to be universally catholic (and Catholic).

Everyone here has been beyond welcoming, including the parish (St. Benedict's in Aracadia). Fr. John Martin concelebrated the Mass with Fr. Simon, one of the Benedictines from the monastery (who we are told has a seashell collection of epic proportions - we have yet to see this phenomenon). A bit embarassed that the ushers skipped right over us at the offeratory, we were all moved by an instrumental offeratory song done on a harmonica. Now, I know what you're thinking - was this a Mass or a hoe-down?? I promise you, it was beautiful...as though a stringed instrument had been played.

For those of you who know me well, you know that music is a big part of my expression of faith, so that is what tends to move me, even in the Mass. The parish was a bit apprehensive that their organist was unable to be there, but it was an unnecessary concern. It wasn't the quality of the music that moved me, but the simplicity and earnestness of it all. We even had an American standard over communion - One Bread, One Body. Though at home we sometimes feel like we are on autopilot during familiar songs, the depth of meaning in this one and the scripture from which it draws, connected with me deeply. Here we were, across the world, and yet we were coming together as one people in Christ Jesus, through whom all may become one with God again.

I'm sure as the week draws on, that recognition will move me more deeply than I know now. I'm also sure that it will greatly affect the way in which I view my connection to the church back home. What I don't know yet is what I may be called to do in light of these revelations...

Well, it is time for dinner and we should probably head back to the cottage before they eat all the food! Good night and God bless - we'll be back with more later!!

Plenty of Australian Hospitality to Go Around the World

So far this pilgrimage has been very pleasant, yet sometimes stressful, but the hospitality we have received has been amazing.

First, when our flight was delayed by 2 hours from Los Angeles, Qantas bumped Anna, Jerry and I to the exit row on the plane, which was wonderful since we had extra leg room to sleep. On top of that since we were seated directly next to the galley we had plenty of time to interact with the flight attendants, Kurt and Bronwyn. They served us dinner first (albeit at 5:30am EST/ 7:30pm Sydney time) which was delicious salmon. They also asked if we were WYD pilgrims and Kurt mentioned that if we were staying with his mother-in-law then he would take us around town. Kurt also let us know that there was a Hillsong concert/conference going on in downtown Sydney this weekend and helped us get some of the first pictures of Sydney, the Harbor Bridge, the Opera House, the coastline, and some humpback whales from the airplane before we landed. Bronwyn also reminded us to 'LOOK RIGHT' as we cross the street as the cars drive on the Left Side of the road, 'just opposite' of the US. Hopefully we will see Kurt on our flight back to LA; Bronwyn is taking a 4 week holiday just in time to skip all the WYD activity.

As we headed to the Monastery, with the gracious Fr. Bernard, we were greeted with the wonderful lunch spread as Rakhi described in a previous post. What she didn't say was that our fridge in the separate cottage where we are staying was LOADED!! Lamb Steaks, Chicken, Fresh Eggs, Hot Dogs, Cheeses, Peanut Butter & Jelly, boxes of oranges and apples, and even a WHOLE leg of ham and Vegemite!!!! We haven't need to go to the market, except for a few extra vegetables for dinner and lunch. Benedictines really do take RADICAL HOSPITALITY seriously!

This morning we walked to mass at the parish that the Benedictines staff at the edge of their property in Arcadia. We were welcomed by many parishioners, and prayed for during the intercessions. After mass, the parish hosted a typical coffee & donuts where we were able to talk with the parishioners at length about the 'cold' winter (they were amazed I was wearing sandals and a skirt!), the Pope's visit (He will be staying about 20 minutes farther in the country than we are currently), and our stay with the Benedictines. A wonderful parish community!

This afternoon, we made our way to our host parish to just check out the surroundings and see if we could talk to someone at the parish about when we should meet our host families. We arrived at the parish around 1pm and the church was empty. After searching around for some 'toliets' (as they call the Restrooms) we ate lunch on the step of the church. Nearly finished and planning to leave, a parishioner stops in the road to ask 'Are you Right?' 'Of Course' we respond, yet she stops as she is one of the WYD Site Coordinators -Ella, and proceeds to open up the parish hall, get the pastor, Father John (a chancellor of the diocese) out of his house to meet us, and to make tea for us. She proceeded to call the parish homestay coordinator -Sybille- and chat with us. One homestay family from the Maronite community showed us and welcomed us as well. As it turns out, we will be showing up at the parish again tomorrow (Monday) at 4pm to attend a parish WYD blessing and BBQ as well as meeting our host families and staying with them Monday night, a day earlier than expected. Thankfully, the parish is willing to stow our gear beginning tomorrow morning when Fr. Bernard will drop us off, rather than us carrying all of our packs the entire day. On top of all that, the homestay coordinator's husband, Eric, and the pastor drove us down to the ferry to take to the Sydney before we headed back to the Monastery.

Just some of the Amazing Australian Hospitality that we have encountered here!

Day Two: All Creation Praise the Lord!

As much as things did not go according to our plans on day one, on day two we did in fact, go to the zoo! We began the adventure with morning prayer just inside the zoo entrance and spent the day watching sunbathing kangaroos, staring at statuesque crocodiles, soaking in breathtaking views of the city, and searching for the platypus who was very shy.

I learned with the last entry that it takes quite a while to upload pictures to this blog, so below are a few samples from our day. More pictures can be found in a Facebook album.


We began the day with breakfast and some morning calisthenics...well, Jerry and Christa had a push-up contest at any rate. The rest of us got our workout by laughing!










We are finding that the city is in fact being invaded by pilgrims... and I don't mean the ones with the black buckled hats! Here are some pilgrims from the Phillippines we met at the zoo... interestingly enough, the picture was taken by one of the guys from the Italian group we had met the night before. I think they are following us... well, maybe not.





Here is the crew as we are leaving the zoo (minus Tony & Fr. John Martin who took a different exit)










Since we had a late night the night before, we headed home after the zoo, taking the ferry back through the harbor.







On our way back from the train, we went in search of a grocery store, only to find out that it had been just down the street from the station all along. So we picked up a few things and headed back to make dinner. The rest of the evening was spent together in the cottage, with me learning that cooking times triple when using not quite thawed chicken and older appliances that don't heat up very well. Let's just say that dinner was NOT at 7 p.m. as planned. Luckily, it did still turn out okay, just late. Perhaps the Lord is just trying to beat that whole virtue of patience into me, as we've been doing a lot of waiting. Instant gratification is not something to be grasped in this setting...and maybe that is a glorious lesson.

God bless and keep you all!

Day One: Things Do Not Always Go As Planned!

When we arrived at the monastery and told Fr. Bernard our plans for our first full day, he laughed. I wonder if he was in persona Christi at the moment.... ;) He warned us that travel would take much longer than we anticipated by public transportation, and boy...was he right! You can go the same route on the train on two different days, and it can take twice as long one day as the other!

So, though our first day's plan was to go to Bondi Beach and Cronulla, he suggested we go up to Manly beach instead as it would be closer and right off the ferry. So, we hopped the train into the wharf at Circular Quay and took the Manly Ferry over to Manly. Here are some things we saw along the way...














Our first stop was the Sydney Harbour National Park. Here are some pictures from that part of our journey, most of which was up a steep hill for about a mile. Talk about a challenging first day - jet lag and climbing! The walk through the old military training area was spectacular, and even though some were still a little tired, we managed to have a wee bit of fun.




















After the National Park, we headed for the beach, with a brief detour to look at what used to be the St. Patrick's Seminary, but is now a School of Management. We were a little dismayed that the school had either planted or allowed to grow some bushes covering a statue of an unidentifiable saint (most likely Patrick, but we couldn't see due to the bushes in front of it.). Anyway, most of us braved the cold waters and dipped our feet into the flip side of the Pacific!















At dusk we headed back from Manly on the ferry (which was a bit on the chilly side, but gave us some fantastic views!) and made our way back to the monastery. We kept running into pilgrims from all over the world - the group in the picture above is from Paraguay. On our way back from Manly we kept running into some Italians - that picture is below.














We ended the night very tired, but some of us still managed to stay up past midnight, quite unintentionally, and paid for it the next day. As for now, I must run back to the cottage for a quick breakfast before Mass! We'll try to post about our trip to the zoo later on today.

Good morning/night and God bless!!

Hanging Upside Down on the Other Side of the World!

After two delays and a whole waking day spent on a plane, we've made it to the other side of the world! Some of us feel like we are literally hanging upside down, but overall, we've adjusted rather well - the humor maybe not so much!

It's only been one day of travel in close quarters, and granted we are tired, but already many of us are growing weary of Jesus. Let me explain, we don't mean Jesus Christ - we mean the talking Jesus doll that has accompanied us. While a great conversation starter, the doll's sentences are limited...limited to seven verses in fact. And during a rousing game of Euchre at the airport, it was somehow decided that those verses simply were not practical to put into action. Did I mention that it was about 3AM Eastern time? The jokes have continued to flow along with the overtired, slaphappy laughter, but bedtime will come soon enough.

Although we have experienced a few minor irritations, like kids kicking our seat for 14 hours, phones not working and running out of hot water as all nine of us wanted to clean up, the blessings poured upon us have been more abundant than we could have imagined. The morale of everyone despite the exhaustion and hunger at the airport were lifted as we met and talked with groups heading to Sydney from all over the US and the world. We also said many prayers of thanksgiving as we heard other groups' travel nightmares, from delayed and cancelled flights to lost passports. Bearing in mind what could have faced us, a few minor irritations are hardly worth the notice!

Upon arriving in Sydney and leaving the airport, we headed off on the train to meet up with Fr. Bernard from the St. Benedict's Monastery where we are now staying. He came to meet us at the train station and drove us in the parish van, of which we have free use while we are here. He has even offered to chauffeur us, as it is a stickshift and I have limited experience driving one of those where we drive on the right side of the road...literally! Anyway, we all piled into the "Atomic Doop" (it used to say "automatic door" but some of the letters had peeled away), and after a half hour scenic drive through the valleys and gorges of Berowra, we arrived.

The monks and guests from Sri Lanka were waiting for us for lunch...and this was no ordinary lunch! On the menu - soup for starters, then lamb, chicken, pumpkin, peas and potatoes for the main meal, topped off with ice cream and peaches for dessert. What a meal it was after such a long flight (though the meals on the plane were quite good as well!).

We've now settled into the cottage which we've learned is being demolished after we leave (not because we came, but because it is old and less expensive to start over than to renovate). There will be pictures to come, but for now, we're unpacked, clean and getting hungry! So it is off to evening prayer and dinner. More to come another day... God bless and good night!

Rakhi

P.S. - It really is winter in Australia...though more of a mix between a California winter and a midwest autumn. We could smell some woodfires burning in the crisp evening air as we walked to the main monastery at twilight, though we are told open fires are discouraged due to concern about pollution. The smell is comforting though, even without our own bonfire. :)

Morning prayer and post thoughts

Written: 6:30 am (Sydney)

"As we are getting closer to arriving in Sydney we pray to you Lord, these morning prayers of petition:
We thank you Lord for enlightening us through your Son, fill us with His light throughtout the day.

Let your wisdom lead us today, Lord that we may walk in the newness of life.

May we bear hardships with courage for your name's sake and be generous in serving you.

Direct our thoughts feelings and actions this day, help us to follow your providential guidance.

We are only a few hours from landing now, but we are all ready to be on the ground"

Post script: Very fitting petitions for us to have in morning prayer in preparation for finshing our travel to Sydney. We flew through the night and are now trying to stay awake in the light now to get used to the time zone. We did a great deal of walking upon exiting the plane, even once we got off the train it was 2 blocks to the van which took us to the monestary. We have had a few annoyances with technology that we have made it past with courage. With your guidance we did make it here to settle in.

Peace, Laura

Bon Voyage!!

The many months of preparation are over, and we are on our way! Here are a few pictures from our trip so far, which has included some great adventures within three airports in the US - Detroit Metro Smith Terminal, Chicago Midway and Los Angeles International (LAX). We're currently in the midst of our longest layover in LA - it is 9:30 and we've still got at least 2 hours before boarding time.

Our first leg of the journey from Detroit to Chicago went very quickly, though not so smoothly in the skies due to the storms rolling into the area. This was Christa's first flight EVER, but she was a trooper and thought it was "not bad at all!" The second leg of our flight from Chicago to LA was longer, but less bumpy, and we even felt a little like we were in Vegas with a bit of jackpot dollar lottery on the plane with the rest of our fellow passengers. Alas...we didn't win any spending money for LA.

As excited as we were to finally arrive at Los Angeles International, I think we might have been more excited about finding the bathroom after the slightly bumpy landing! Luggage collected, we hopped the bus over to the Qantas terminal to check in for our flight before the waiting game began only to be delayed as they could not find Fr. John Martin's Visa information when they scanned his passport. Prayers were said, phone calls were made, and after two typos were corrected we were on our way to ... oh, right, waiting some more. At what is now 1AM, people are split between those who are excited and slaphappy and those ready to catch some zzzzs.

We're off to walk around for a bit before being stuck in that flying cylinder in the sky for 14 1/2 hours! Yikes!

Good night, and may God bless you always... Rakhi & the Genesis WYD Crew.